Topic: one whole year

[batmaniswatching]

NWR,
My wife and I are starting a project this year in which we try making pretty much everything we eat from scratch at home.

As a gamer, I'd prefer not to be pulled away from my Wii into the kitchen constantly, so what are some things that you guys and girls make from scratch quickly at home?  I'm trying to think of foods that we can just grab real quick so I can get back to the rest of life.  I'd love to try recipes and food ideas from other Nintendo peoples.  I know Power Steak + Keel Mango is tasty, but what else?

Thanks!

Greg

PS if anyone wants to check out posts about how we're doing on the project, you can go to onewholeyear.com (I'm keeping that info down here since I'm looking for recipes, not a plug for my random site).

[vudu]

Ants on a log.  If you don't like ants on a log there's something wrong with you.

What do you mean "from scratch"?  Does that entail making your own peanut butter?  Growing your own peanut plants?  Mixing your own hydrogen and oxygen to water your peanut plants?  Or can you continue to buy Peter Pan at your local grocery story?

[Kairon]

Yeah, exactly how "from scratch" is "from scratch?" You mean, going completely home-cooked?

[batmaniswatching]

I think I've already eaten ants on a log 3 times in the first 6 days of the year.  So good call with that!

From scratch for us meaning that we're taking the most basic ingredients to cook with that we can get our hands on in almost every case.  Like, we're not going to make our own cheese (although we'll look for more natural versions of cheese), but we are going to make our own bread.  We will get the peanut butter from the store where you can just grind the nuts in the machine directly into a butter, since that's as basic as we can find.

I guess you could look at it as the vast majority of everything we eat starts with singular ingredients.  

[Darkheart]

I think he means no going out to eat . . .

[ShyGuy]

So home made snack/on-the-go food? A good technique I've found is to prepare some food before hand then store it individually the freezer or fridge for quick access. That way instead of tossing in a store bought microwave burrito, you pull a healthier one out and reheat it.

Fruit is of course a good snack, as is beef jerkey. We have a butcher behind where I work that makes their own beef jerkey.

[Mario]

Try a one year fast

[wandering]

Homemade pasta and sauce, perhaps? (though that might not be quick/easy enough for you.) I'm fond of this sauce recipe.  

[DAaaMan64]

yum ants on a log is good stuff.

[ShyGuy]

So wait, are we allowed to suggest recipes too cook as well? What kind of prep time is allowed? Is it only finger foods?

[nickmitch]

You could try making croque monsieurs. It's very simple, yummy and has a fancy name.

[odifiend]

If you have/invest in a grill, salmon, chicken, and beef goes fast.  You can match that with rice or whatever you like.

[matt oz]

Risotto is a good, filling side dish.  But would you need to make your own stock for it?  If so, that takes a long time, and I have no idea how to do that.  I just make it with store-bought stock and wine.

Making homemade pasta really isn't that hard.  You don't even need a pasta machine if you don't mind kneading by hand for 10 minutes.

Pizza dough is easy to make and can be frozen, so you can make a few batches and defrost when needed.

Hmm, all my ideas are starchy foods...

[Stogi]

I got a pretty nice catalog of recipes, but most of them do take at least a half an hour to cook.

So if you want some fancy meals from time to time, give me a P.M. and I'll let you know.  

[IceCold]

Quote
Ants on a log. If you don't like ants on a log there's something wrong with you.

Seriously? That sounds disgusting..

Maybe it's because I'm not a big fan of peanut butter, though.

[Stogi]

Ohh...

Tuna fish sandwiches take 15 minutes to prepare.

Just take some canned tuna, dump it in a bowl, mix some mayonnaise, mustard, diced celery and tomatoes and some salt and pepper to taste and your good.

Among the above, I also like raisins, crushed walnuts, paprika, a little cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and a little soy sauce and ginger, and finally wasabi.

Yeah I know, a little complex, but it is worth it if you have the ingredients around (wasabi comes in handy for many recipes, plus a little bit goes a long, so I suggest getting a tube for $4).  

[18 Days]

If you know how to make a pizza bae (i've heard it's pretty easy, flour, milk and eg and whatnot) try homemade pizzas, they're beyond simple. You get the base, slather it in tomato paste, put all your favorite veges (seriously anything works, even broccoli, carrots and whatnot) and meat. Cover with cheese. Then leave it in the oven until you can smell it.

Tuna pie is a favorite recipe of mine, that while it takes a while, is dead simple.
Tuna, corn kernals, chopped onion, 1 egg and grated cheese (optional) between two bits of shortbread/puff pastry. Bake until you can smell it. Just remember to stab few holes int he pastry to let it breathe.